Flat roof



, Feb. 27, 1940. c. ECKERT I 2,191,522

FLAT ROOF Filed March 16, 1937 %Ma W INVENTOR ATTORNEY6 Patented Feb. 27,

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFic-E Application Marchlfi; 1937, Serial no. 131,122

'IClaims.

This invention relates to a covering or protection for flat roofs, floorsand the like. The covering is of such a nature that it protects the 'roof or floor. It possesses characteristics which enable it to resist being worn away by abrasion and also enables it to avoid becoming slippery even after it has been used for a considerable length-of time. It is also resistant to alkalis and acids and does not become brittle or crack even with long use or an exposure to different atmospheric conditions.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows a vertical section partll ly broken away through a portion of a roof deck.

In the drawing reference character I indicates a flat roof deck that is illustrated as being made of concrete I reinforced with I-beams 2. A portion of a parapet wall 3 is shown along one edge 99 with a coping block 4 at the top. Metal flashing 5 extends across the top of the wall 3 under the block 4 and projects outwardly a short distance along the inner side of the wall. This flashing 5 overlaps several superposed plies 6 of felt satu 25 rated with asphalt or coal tar for example, the lower edge of which is turned at right angles to lie along the roof deck.

A membrane which may be made up for example of' plies I of tarred felt or the like extends 30 along the upper surface of the roof deck I and the outer edges of same of the top plies are turned upwardly under the layers 6 as indicated at 8.

The parts thus far described are old and well known in the art, drains (not shown) being pro- 86 vided to carry off the water at the lowest points toward which the roof decks are made to slope gradually. With such roof decks the membrane 1 is relied upon to prevent leakage. Such membranes frequently wrinkle and leakage frequently 40 occurs because the membrane becomes ruptured by being walked on or because of being struckby falling bodies. In order to prevent injury to membrane I in the prior art this membrane is frequently covered with stone surfacing or tile or being adapted to be used in a manner similar to floors in a building. In carrying out the invention a layer it of bituminous material is applied to the topmost ply of the membrane 1 as a continuous coating thus protecting the waterproof I layer and making it even more satisfactorily waterproof. As a bitumen suitable for this purpose, asphalt having a melting point from about 130 F. to 160 F. may be used.

At the top of the bitumen layer ll blocks ll 19 are applied over the whole surface with their edges in proximity to each other or contacting with each other, these blocks being made of rectangular orfother shapes. They are made by saturating porous fibrous blocks such as Celot'ex, Maftex "Insulite, etc., with hot bituminous material. Concerning the porous fibrous blocks above referred to, and in connection with which Celotex, "Mafte'x, Insulite, etc. are cited as examples, 20 it is to be noted, that various fiber boards sold under such trade-marks are representative ofthat type of material ordinarily referred to and available as fiber insulating boards. These fiber insulating boards are made from a relatively coarse cellulose containing fiber stock, the fiber of which may be derived from cotton, sugar cane bagasse, licorice root, corn stalks and other cellulose containing fiber growth. The relatively coarse fibers are suspended in a large proDQrtion of water and the boards are formed therefrom-by processes generallyresembling those em-'- ployed in producing paper products, that is, by a process comprising essentially the filtering out of such fibers from such fluid stock, such filtering accomplished by deposit of the fibers on a screen through which the suspending fluid passes leaving the fibers on the screen as a filtered out mass. It is characteristic of the filtering process utilized in producing these fiber insulated boards, that 0 the fibers are laid down on the screen essentially as, a plurality of superimposed layers each of which is substantially coextensive with the filtering area, but each of which is additionally, to a substantially degree, interlaced with each adjacent layer of the composite sheet deposited. It will be seen that in accordance with the foregoing description: that materials having the general characteristics of fiber insulating board are not a heterogeneousfelted mass, but that instead, such w materials are composed of a plurality of fibrous layers with each layer knit or felted into each adjacent layer, which structure is quite different from that. of a truly felted substance. A very satisfactory bitumen for the purpose of saturating the described fibrous blocks is an asphalt which will soften at about 90 F. to 170 F. sufflciently to penetrate the porous blocks. The volatile content of this saturate should be less than about have been found to serve the purpose very satisfactorily or much thicker blocks may be used,

and blocks by have been'foundtobe convenient and desirable for this purpose although other sizes may be used.

It is to be understood that the 'fiber'blocks de-" scribed are, as generally available, of relatively low density, that is to say, of a density of around 0.26 or within the range of densitiesof' between the densities "of from 0.24 to 0.28. Such fiber blocks are of a quite porous or open structure having a high degree of internal porosity due to thegreat number of interconnected and intersecting channels or pores and voids therein formed in the'fibrous structure, betweenthe individual fibersthereof and at points of' intersection -andbridging within the fibrous structure. v

Saturation of the fibrous blocks as'hereinbefore described, to the extentstated, is by ndmeans a complete saturation of .the fibrous blocks, that is to say, roughly stated such'fibrous blocks so saturated carry onlyabout one half of the amount of thesaturantwhich they can be made to absorb so that they are by no means completely saturated. The fibrous blocks when saturated-to the extent indicatedconstitutea two phase system wherein'the fibers comprise a primary outer "continuous phase inthe form of an interconnect ing continuous open and 'porous matrix carrying within but not filling the such porous and open matrix,a secondary inner phase" in the form of a' skeletori'al cushioning filler of the bituminous saturant.

give or resiliency in' theblock due to the fact that; the fibrous block is'not completely saturated whereby upon the application'of such compres The saturated fibrous blocks due to the interior structure thereof as above detailed are not hard and unyielding, since, as described, ther'e still re-' main within the body thereof numerous open pores or channels and voids only partly filled with the saturant and it therefore results that upon' the application of a compressive force upon a surface of such saturated blocks that'there is a sive force upon a surface the material gives and compacts or condenses as distinguished from flowing laterally which would occur were it not "possible for the material to condense upon itself.

The blocks H are preferably applied while the bitumen or asphalt layer I0 is still hot so that wheri the blocks are pressed in placesome of the bitumen will be squeezed between the joints as indicated at l2 or hot or'soft bitumen maybe'pour d into these, joints after the blocks have been ap plied.

After the blocks ll have been applied as described, the tops or exposed surfaces of these blocks may be painted or covered with coats l3 of butuminous material or colored asphaltic paints and a final coat of aluminum paint if desired. E

The blocks ll not only protect the waterproof "membrane of the roof deck but they also provide a safe and pleasant surface for fiat roofs or floors that can be walked on without wearing away rapidly or becoming slippery. Also, the blocks ll do not become chipped when they are struck and do not crack when high pressure is applied to them but on the contrary blows and pressure serve to make the same more compact or dense.

I.claim: 1 K

1; A substantially flat deck. having a'- continuous waterproofing covering thereon, a resilient wear-resistant protective covering overlayingsaid continuous water-proofing covering and comprising a plurality of units of felted fiberboard, the unitsv of felted fiberboard having within the interstitial structure thereof and extending throughout a. secondary continuous skeletonal structure of bituminous material, the bituminous material 'partiall'y but not completely filling the interstitial voids of the felted fiberboard, the such units having edges in proximity each with the 1 other and compri. 'ng a continuous protectivelayer overlaying the continuous water-proofing. covering, the said protective covering constituting aw wear-resistant and resilient layer overlaying the f wate'r-p'roofiing covering. e

2. A wear-resisting and resilient 'surfacing 'constructioncompr'ising a base having adhered thereon a continuous 'covering comprising. aplurality of units of felted fiberboard, the felted fiberboard:

having interior interstices therein, interiorly andthroughout the body thereof a secondary-structure comprising a continuous 'skeletonal structure of bituminous material partially but not com-w. pletely filling the interior interstice'sof the felted 1 fiberboard, the'units of the assemblage in"sub-- stantially edge to edge contact, the joints between adjacent unitssealed with a'bituminous 'filler on a "continu' us coating of 'aia'cingmaterial'- having a bituminous base. I

" and 'the' surface of the assemblage having there-' tective covering overlaying saidcontinuous wa-' ter-Proofing cowering andcomprising aplurality of i dividual units offelted fiberboard; each car rying a bituminous saturant tci the extent of approximately 1.8 to 2.5 times'the'weight-of'th" felted fiberboard, such saturant' penetrating throughout the felted fiberboard but not in sumcient quantityffor the complete saturation there-' of, the bituminous saturant 'having a melting point of between '90 and F. theunits cori'- taining the' bituminous saturant applied'to the surface of the water-proofing covering in substantially edge, t'o'edge contact adhered, thereto j with a,bituminous adhesive and providing "over such continuous ,w a.i'.' er proofing a surface {con-'1 forming resilient and flexible continuous and wear-resistantprotective covering.

4. A substantially flat deck having a continuous;

- water-proofing coating thereon; a resilient protec tive coveringoverlaying said coating and; com-1- prising a plurality of units of felted-fiberboardv having within the skeletonal structure thereof a secondary skeletonal' structure of bituminous ma terial, the'said second skeletonal structure of vbituminous material extending throughout the ins terior structure of the felted fiberboard in a quantity insufiicient to completely fill the internal voids thereof, the upper surfaces of theunitsin'-" other, the spaces between adjacent edgesfilled with a mastic and the entire surface of the said 7 construction having applied thereover a continuous surfacing coating having a bituminous base.

5. A continuous resilient and wear-resisting surfacing covering comprising a plurality of selectively processed units of material, the processed units of a thickness between A" and /2" and comprising as the" base thereof felted fiber insulation board having a porous internal structure, a secondary structure extending substantially uniformly throughout the porous internal structure of the fiberboard to partially but not completely fill the porous internal structure, the secondary structure comprising 'a bituminous substance substantially uniformly distributed throughout the porous internal structure of the fiberboard to the extent of between 1.8 to 2.5 times the weight of the fiber, the-secondary structure having the physical properties with respect to resilience and softening substantially those of asphalt having a melting point of between 90 and 170* F., the such units adhered to the supporting surface applied adjacent one to another but slightly spaced and with the faces thereof in substantially planar relation, the spaces between adjacent units filled with a bituminous filler whereby said processed units so applied and having the internal porosity incompletely filled with the secondary internal structure extending throughout forms a continuous resilient protective covering without tendency to delaminate.

6. A substantially fiat deck having a resilient wear-resisting protective covering overlaying said deck and comprising a plurality of units of felted fiber board, the units of felted fiber board having within the interstitial structure thereof and extending throughout a secondary continuous skeletonal structure of bituminous material, the bituminous material partly but not completely filling the interstitial voids of the felted flber board, the such units having-edges in proximity each with the other and comprising a continuous protective layer overlaying the deck, the said protective covering constituting a wear-resistant and resilient layer overlaying the said deck.

7. A substantially flat deck, a resilient protective covering overlaying the deck and comprisinga plurality of units of felted fiber board having within the skeletonal structure thereof a secondary skeletonal structure of bituminous material, the said second skeletonal structure of bituminous material extending throughout the interior structure of the felted fiber board in a quantity lnsufflcient to completely fill the internal voids thereof,

the upper surfaces of the units in the same plane and thereby affording a planar surface for said overlayingprotective covering.

CLARENCE R. ECKERT. 

